U.S. patent number 8,060,412 [Application Number 11/740,261] was granted by the patent office on 2011-11-15 for system and method for obtaining merchandise information.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Walter Steven Rosenbaum. Invention is credited to Nathaniel E. Rosenbaum, Walter Steven Rosenbaum.
United States Patent |
8,060,412 |
Rosenbaum , et al. |
November 15, 2011 |
System and method for obtaining merchandise information
Abstract
In a method of obtaining merchandise information from a store
system using speech processing technology to determine a spoken
query entry, an information inquiry from a customer regarding a
particular product is received via a communication network. The
location of the customer is determined, which is then used to
determine a store closest to the customer. A merchandise database
is searched for the inquired information regarding the particular
product, wherein searching the merchandise database is limited to
products available at the store closest to the customer location.
The inquired information is retrieved from the merchandise
database, and transmitted to the customer.
Inventors: |
Rosenbaum; Walter Steven
(Paris, FR), Rosenbaum; Nathaniel E. (Paris,
FR) |
Assignee: |
Rosenbaum; Walter Steven
(Paris, FR)
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Family
ID: |
39619002 |
Appl.
No.: |
11/740,261 |
Filed: |
April 25, 2007 |
Prior Publication Data
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Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
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US 20080270249 A1 |
Oct 30, 2008 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
705/26.1;
705/14.39; 704/275; 704/257; 704/244; 705/14.25; 705/14.23 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G10L
15/26 (20130101); G06Q 30/0239 (20130101); G06Q
30/02 (20130101); G06Q 30/0222 (20130101); G06Q
30/0601 (20130101); G06Q 30/0224 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
G06Q
30/00 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;705/14.23,14.25,14.36,26.1 ;704/244,257,275 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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10020544 |
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Oct 2001 |
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DE |
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9930257 |
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Jun 1999 |
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WO |
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02098107 |
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Dec 2002 |
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WO |
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Other References
"5 Questions for Alex Muller," Revenue Magazine, Jan. 10, 2007,
Reprint downloaded on Aug. 29, 2007, 2 pages. cited by other .
Bob Tedeschi, "A Richer Trip to the Mall, Guided by Text Messages,"
E-Commerce Report, Mar. 5, 2007, The New York Times, Reprint
Downloaded on Aug. 29, 2007, 3 pages. cited by other .
Don Clark, "Google Targets Voice Searches," Wall Street Journal,
Apr. 12, 2007, p. B3, Reprint downloaded on Aug. 29, 2007, 2 pages.
cited by other .
International Searching Authority (EPO), "Notification of
Transmittal of the International Search Report and the Written
Opinion of the International Searching Authority, or the
Declaration," Oct. 30, 2008, 18 pages. cited by other .
Paraf, Edouard, Authorized Officer of the International Preliminary
Examining Authority (EPO), "PCT International Preliminary Report on
Patentability (Chapter II of the Patent Cooperation Treaty," Aug.
19, 2009, 9 pages. cited by other.
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Primary Examiner: Garg; Yogesh C
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Sewell; Jerry Turner
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A method of obtaining merchandise information from a merchandise
locating digital processing system for a store, comprising:
receiving into the merchandise locating digital processing system
via a communication network a spoken information inquiry from a
customer regarding a location of a particular product in the store;
using speech recognition technology within the merchandise locating
digital processing system to recognize the content of the spoken
information inquiry from the customer; processing information
received via the communication network to determine a location of
the customer; using the customer location to determine a location
of a branch of the store closest to the customer; searching for the
inquired information regarding the particular product in a
merchandise database within the merchandise locating digital
processing system by initially comparing the spoken information
inquiry from the customer only to products within the merchandise
database that are available at the branch of the store closest to
the customer location to thereby enhance the accuracy of
recognizing the content of the spoken information inquiry from the
customer; retrieving the inquired information from the merchandise
database based on the content of the information inquiry recognized
by the merchandise locating digital processing system, the
retrieved information including whether the particular product is
available at the branch of the store and including a physical
location of the product within the branch of the store when the
product is available; and transmitting the inquired information
from the merchandise locating digital processing system to the
customer via the communication network to inform the customer
whether the particular product is available at the branch of the
store and to inform the customer where the particular product is
physically located within the branch of the store when the product
is available.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the information inquiry
includes receiving at the store merchandise locating digital
processing system a telephone call from the customer speaking the
information inquiry.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining the location of the
customer includes processing at least one of a telephone number
assigned to the customer, a location of a base station of a mobile
phone system, a post code and a store identification data.
4. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a
synthesized announcement by the merchandise locating digital
processing system based on a speech recognition result, and sending
the announcement to the customer via the communication network.
5. The method of claim 4, further comprising prompting the customer
to confirm whether the synthesized announcement corresponds to the
spoken information inquiry.
6. The method of claim 5, further comprising selectively
redirecting the information inquiry to a staff member when the
customer does not confirm that the synthesized announcement
corresponds to the spoken information inquiry.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the inquired
information to the customer from the merchandise locating digital
processing system includes sending at least one of a text message,
an audio message and an image to the customer via the communication
network.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the information inquiry
includes receiving at the store merchandise locating digital
processing system an electronic message generated by the customer
using a telephone keypad.
9. A system for obtaining merchandise information, comprising a
store system coupled to a communication network to receive an
information inquiry from a customer regarding a particular product,
wherein the store system comprises: means for receiving via a
communication network a spoken information inquiry from a customer
regarding a location of a particular product in a store; means for
processing information received via the communication network to
determine a location of the customer; means for using the customer
location to determine a location of the store closest to the
customer; means for recognizing speech to recognize the spoken
information inquiry from the customer; means for searching a
merchandise database for the inquired information regarding the
particular product based on the recognized spoken information
inquiry from the customer, the means for searching initially
comparing the spoken information inquiry from the customer only to
products within the merchandise database that are available at the
branch of the store closest to the customer location to thereby
enhance the accuracy of recognizing the spoken information inquiry
from the customer; means for retrieving the inquired information
from the merchandise database based on the content of the
recognized information inquiry, the retrieved information including
whether the particular product is available at the branch of the
store and including the physical location of the product within the
branch of the store when the product is available; and means for
transmitting the inquired information to the customer via the
communication network to inform the customer whether the particular
product is available at the branch of the store and to inform the
customer where the particular product is physically located within
the branch of the store when the product is available.
10. The system of claim 9, wherein the means for determining the
location of the customer are configured to process at least one of
a telephone number assigned to the customer, a location of a base
station of a mobile phone system, a post code and a store
identification data.
11. The system of claim 9, further comprising means for generating
a synthesized announcement based on a speech recognition result,
and means for sending the announcement to the customer via the
communication network.
12. The system of claim 11, further comprising means for prompting
the customer to confirm whether the synthesized announcement
corresponds to the spoken information inquiry.
13. The system of claim 12, further comprising means for
selectively redirecting the information inquiry to a customer
representative when the customer does not confirm that the
synthesized announcement corresponds to the spoken information
inquiry.
14. The system of claim 9, wherein the means for transmitting the
inquired information to the customer are configured to send at
least one of a text message, an audio message and an image to the
customer via the communication network.
15. The system of claim 9, further comprising means for processing
an electronic message generated by customer using a telephone
keypad.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The various embodiments described herein generally relate to
retail-customer assistance systems. More particularly, the various
embodiments described herein relate to a system and method for
assisting a retail customer to obtain information about
merchandise.
In modern retailing, the trend is increasingly toward high-volume
outlets that contain literally tens of thousands of items and are
staffed by the fewest possible personnel. To keep prices at a
competitive level retail stores strive to cut frills, pack
merchandise in a maximal way onto shelves and keep number and
training of personnel low. This model for lean staffing is further
accentuated by having many of the "people-on-the-floor" that are
doing shelf replenishment be representatives from suppliers rather
than store personnel who are familiar with the store and, hence,
can help shoppers. The above staff-to-customer ratio deficiency is
additionally accentuated by 24/7 store hours where staffing during
non-peak shopping hours is purposely kept to the absolute
minimum.
In such a cost conscious retail environment, where thousands of
items are up for sale in massive areas with shelved products and
very few trained sales staff is available, the customer tends to
pay lower prices while consistently having to manage the challenge
of finding the location of desired merchandise on the shelves.
Hence, finding merchandise tends to be time consuming and prone to
causing customer frustration.
Retail stores have attempted to address the problem of helping
customers find what they want in several different ways. Large
chains, particularly grocery store chains, try to keep store
layouts consistent amongst stores. However, layout consistency may
not be strictly implemented, for example, because of varying store
sizes and architectural constraints, and is likely only of value to
frequent-repeat customers who are looking for the same merchandise
once again.
The most direct way of assisting customers is by stores training
their staff to know the merchandise layout. Such staffing and
training, however, is difficult to implement in sufficient numbers
in view of the cost, and does not prevent mistakes by staff.
Alternatively, stores can put up large signs at the entry to aisles
with information on what products are to be found in the respective
aisle. However, because the signs need to be readable at a relative
distance, only a limited number of products or merchandise
categories can be listed on such placards. Detailed store
directories can be printed but they lack ease of use for a browsing
customer in the aisles and generate substantial expenses whenever a
change in layout is made.
Further, automated kiosks installed in stores allow a customer to
walk-up and query the store's product database for an item's shelf
location. However, ease of use may be limited because the customer
does not know the proper name of the product or lacks the required
spelling/keying skills to be comfortable using it. Also, stationary
kiosks, like printed directories, do not help browsing customers in
the aisles or those making multiple purchases.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,928,343 describes a mobile kiosk attached to a
shopping cart, wherein the shopping cart is augmented with the
capability to continuously update the location of the shopper via a
form of inertial positioning using compass bearing and wheel
revolutions. Accordingly, the cart's kiosk advises the shopper of
certain specials in the adjacent shelves. The location of the
shopping chart is updated and refined whenever the customer uses
the mobile kiosk to scan merchandise for a price quote or nutrition
information. The mobile kiosk further provides the retailer with
information related to how shoppers transverse the aisles and
product displays.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2005/044011 addresses part of the
shopping kiosk usability issues by adopting a nested graphical
product search interface. Rather than display directly merchandise
or require entry of specific merchandise by name, the disclosed
system allows a customer to start from, e.g., a kitchen setting and
allow the user to decompose items displayed into merchandise for
which a map through the store is displayed. This process of
navigating via a hierarchy of nested displayed images requires a
user-accessible computer with a display facility. The map can show
the shortest distance through the store leading to each item, or
lead the customer to items in the most convenient order.
Additionally the map can note other products and merchandising of
interest.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2006/0059049 improves on the above
store navigation by using a portable data device wherein the user
enters a task such as tiling, which the system interprets as one or
more items and then creates a path that is graphically displayed to
the customer on the screen of the portable data device as a tour
relative to graphically displayed layout of the store or part
there-off. The path is also used to cause other product related
information to be prompted to the customer to stimulate additional
purchases. The task can be entered before-hand or directly keyed
into the personal digital assistant (PDA) using its alpha/numeric
keyboard. The task is then decomposed into a number of constituent
purchases of items. The path includes a graphical representation of
the exact location of the sought item. The platform for display of
the path is a personal computer, but can also be a web enabled
mobile phone or PDA with the required display facilities. The path
can be pre-stored or loaded into a portable device to be accessed
during shopping or printed onto paper.
The technique of U.S. Patent Publication No. 2006/0059049 assumes
prompting a shopper as the shopper transits the path outlined of
the products associated with the task. For a usable path display a
sufficient display size and resolution are required. Also all
information is given relative to a path that may not be direct even
when the customer's interest is focused on simply getting to the
specific shelf location.
The above-described systems provide some assistance to customers.
However, these systems require special purpose devices, e.g., with
significant display capability, and, hence, a substantial initial
financial investment. In addition, customers may not be familiar,
or hesitant using these devices, for example, because they are not
comfortable typing or feel distracted from shopping when typing.
The mode of usage does not emulate and optimize the simplest mode
of shopping which is inquiry to a knowledgeable party and walkup
and purchase.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, a need exists for an improved system and method for
locating desired products in retail and wholesale stores as well as
warehouses or malls. Accordingly, the various embodiments described
herein are based on communication devices, such as mobile phones,
conventional landline telephones, and telephony enabled PDAs/smart
phones, with utilization in the manner consumers are already
familiar and comfortable with, and consistent with not interfering
or distracting from the overall shopping experience.
One aspect of the invention involves a method of obtaining
merchandise information from a store system using speech processing
technology to determine a spoken query entry, and to generate
synthetic or pre-stored speech for response. The method includes
receiving via a communication network an information inquiry from a
customer regarding a particular product. The location of the
customer is determined, which is then used to determine a store
closest to the customer. A merchandise database is searched for the
inquired information regarding the particular product, wherein
searching the merchandise database is limited to products available
at the store closest to the customer location. The inquired
information is retrieved from the merchandise database, and
transmitted to the customer.
Another aspect involves a system for obtaining merchandise
information. The system includes a store system coupled to a
communication network to receive an information inquiry from a
customer regarding a particular product. The store system includes
means for performing the method of obtaining merchandise
information.
In one embodiment, the location of the customer relative to a
specific store in a chain is determined via the telephony network
(for example, determining the base station or cell tower the
customer's phone is using). Reducing the product set to that
available at the determined store enhances the accuracy of the
product query when the customer's information inquiry is subjected
to a speech recognition process. Accordingly, the store database is
then particularized so that in one embodiment the product query
results are used to determine the precise location of the
merchandise in that store specified via branch, aisle and shelf, or
any other method convenient to the store architecture and
design.
Particularization of the speech recognition process to a given
store's database of merchandise occurs in one embodiment via local
WiFi or GPS technology associated with mobile telephony.
Another embodiment involves performing the speech recognition
against a global database containing all related merchandise, and
then delimiting the speech recognition results by the specific
merchandise available in the store determined by telephony
means.
The customer may enter a merchandise query in freeform, i.e., the
specific product name and or type of merchandise is spoken with no
defined hierarchy, or the system prompts the customer, for example,
for category of merchandise and then for any specific brand. If the
brand is temporarily not available in the store, the query for the
location of this category of merchandise is responded with
available alternative brands.
The customer is able to reject the assumed speech recognition
choice and re-voice the query. The system can use the results of
both queries to maximize the successful interpretation of the
follow-up voicing. If the customer accepts the re-voiced speech
recognition result, the speech recognition system uses the
correction to enhance the customer's speech recognition training
profile. The training profile is otherwise optionally generated by
the user repeating back a set of specific words as audio or
character prompted by the system.
In one embodiment, the customer dials a single access number
related to the chain of stores, and via cellular tower inference
the specific store and, hence, shopper location is ascertained
seamless to the customer dial-in. The inquiry is by the customer
speaking into a mobile phone. The system applies speech recognition
technology to decipher the inquiry. The merchandise database is
automatically restricted to a subset of the "universe" of items to
those carried by that store and further enhances the relevance of
speech recognition processing in resolving the customer's utterance
as a specific item in the store's merchandise. Accordingly, the
speech recognition result is then looked up in the related store's
merchandise database resulting in a specific, precise, aisle/shelf
location for the requested merchandise being communicated back to
the customer via synthetic or pre-stored speech. Alternatively, the
aisle/shelf location is communicated to the customer as an image
(or a sequence of images) or character data displayed on the
customer's mobile phone display.
For example, if the product is not in stock at the branch where the
customer is currently situated, alternative branches are provided
within a preset range. Directions to the alternative branch may be
provided if the customer so desires by means of existing mapping
software.
The related database is resolved for purposes of speech recognition
accuracy by means of proximity data obtained via telephony means,
for example, including a caller's phone number (caller id). The
user can be advised of the branch inferred from that data and, if
required, over-ride that information by means of the system's
speech recognition technology.
Another aspect of this invention utilizes the specific localization
of the customer relative to a given store in a chain to enhance the
facilities of SMS keying to converge to the merchandise being phone
pad entered with response via audio or characters displayed on the
telephony device. The response to a query is usually the specific
aisle and shelf where the item can be found and can be communicated
in return to the customer on their mobile phone via synthetic or
pre-stored speech. In one embodiment, this concise information can
be displayed via any standard telephone device display as character
data.
According to one embodiment, a mobile phone, or any
telephony/wireless data service or GPS enabled telephony device can
be used to assist a customer, or store staff, to find the precise
location of merchandise in large retail and wholesale, or in other
establishments including warehouses. Shoppers can use these devices
to enter by speech recognition processing or keying (SMS) the
merchandise in question in a simple mode without necessitating a
standard (QWERTY etc.) keyboard. In response to this entry, the
system advises the customer of the merchandise aisle/shelf location
by audio feedback or pre-stored speech and/or by character data on
the telephone's display. The customer is thereby prompted to find
the item in question or an entire list of items. The latter would
reflect multiple successive merchandise location inquires and will
be organized in an optimal shopping tour to avoid
backtracking/minimize shopping time. Key for immediacy and ease of
use is the ability to affect merchandise location in any store or
any store in a chain by dialing a single nationwide number, using a
store's WiFi technology, or telephony integrated GPS equipment, and
all further resolution of location, store specific database, user
preference are done automatically with no overt user
interaction.
In one embodiment, the customer is not required to enter any
personal identification since the customer is further identified to
the system for purposes of access of prior stored speech
recognition training profiles and other information by means of an
assigned caller identification. Advantageously, triangulation
precision to affect shopper location within the store is not
required.
Alternatively, if a customer is calling, for example, from a home
phone the transmitted phone number of the caller (caller ID) allows
the store system to identify the caller's location and, then, to
determine the store located closest to the caller. The caller may
be asked to confirm his location, or to defer to another store
location entered by speech or SMS. An additional alternative allows
the customer to enter by speech or phone keypad the customer's
post/ZIP code, or by voicing the location or name of the store the
customer wants to visit.
Alternatively, the customer can enunciate (or include in the SMS) a
branch number posted in the store, or entering by speech or SMS the
geographic location.
Advantageously, the immediate access via caller identification to a
user's profile offers further enhancement to speech recognition and
SMS entry by retaining those products previously shopped for that
can be used to more reliably resolve speech recognition ambiguities
and further increase the convergence of SMS entry. Such auxiliary
lists can be resident on the store system or downloaded as a
special application to the customer's mobile telephony device.
Whereas the merchandise location information is given to the
customer via speech feedback and/or as characters (image) on the
telephony screen that denotes aisle number, and a sector along the
shelf or relative position in the aisle, in upscale department
stores where aisles are not denoted as in grocery stores, the
system can give detailed directions from a central point like the
foot of the escalator. In the course of such merchandise location
feedback to the customer, the customer can also be prompted with
customer relationship data such as the queried product or related
sales and promotional information.
Advantageously, the system and method assist shoppers in locating
the desired purchases in large retail and wholesale mega-marts by
themselves, even before actually entering the store, e.g., from
home, from the car or the store's parking lot. Using their
communication devices, shoppers can access a store database to
locate any specific merchandise and find precise aisle/shelf
location without recourse to a standalone kiosk or using
conventional keyboarding. The system and method make access to the
store database a simple and familiar telephony task without any
special menu or identification codes. Further, the system and
method provide a seamless means to reach store staff if automatic
speech recognition or SMS database query fail. The result of store
employee help in terms of a specific product can be reviewed
against the customer's query to further train the speech
recognition system.
An additional advantage is that the search for multiple shopping
items entered by speech recognition or SMS or previously entered
remote from the store and now updated speech recognition to
reflected one or more disparate items that occur to the customer in
the course of shopping. The new items are combined into a list with
previously queried items so that the customer can be directed from
aisle/shelf location to aisle/shelf location in an optimal order
that avoids back-tracking wherever possible and hence minimizes
shopping time.
Utilization of the method and system can be "spur of the moment" or
for a single purchase that occurs to the shopper in the course of
regular shopping as well as giving the shopper a list ordered to
avoid back tracking. In following the analogy of customer walkup to
a knowledgeable person and inquiring about precise aisle/shelf
location, the customer location and shopping needs to be identified
relative to a merchandise and aisle/shelf location without
requiring the customer to identify the precise store. Hence,
following the analogy of walk-up and inquire, customers will be
much more likely to use the invention when new applications such as
obtaining product information from a particular store are
available.
The invention also lends itself to improving the relevance of the
selection of merchandise on the shopped store's shelves by either
recording the audio or keystrokes of those products queried by the
customer not found in the stores database. The audio can be
resolved to phoneme strings that in turn can be clustered or sorted
as if alphabetical data so like product inquiries not found in the
store database can be resolved by listening to just a few audio
samples rather than an exhaustive review. The store staff can
review these product queries not found in the store's database and
thereby get early feedback on customer requested brands and
merchandise that could be added to the inventory. Also, the current
database content can be enhanced to reflect queries that did not
match the database because of anomalies in spelling or customer
references that are generic and in common use but not reflected in
catalog names, such as requests for "nylon stockings" when standard
trade terminology might be "hosiery".
In the regard of using the invention to improve the inventory of
the store being shopped a two tier database query structure can be
adopted whereby, when a speech recognition or SMS query fails to
match the store database, it defaults to a global product database
containing a wider selection of brand and product names as well as
any supplementary data necessary to resolve a wide variety of
customer requests. A match in that global database allows for
response to the shopper via synthetic or pre-stored speech or
character display on the shopper's telephony device of information
such as: "The requested product is not carried in this store but
our selection of such merchandise can be found on Aisle X Section
B." The list of such global database matches not found in the
shopped store can then be reviewed toward the same objective as
discussed above of adding merchandise to the shopped store based on
assessment of requested merchandise not found.
It is contemplated that the invention applies to applications where
an inquiry is first matched against a global merchandise database
for the purpose of speech recognition. The result of this
recognition process can then be matched against the merchandise
database of the shop identified via the preciously described caller
localization for retrieval of merchandise information such as
location within the store.
Further, the processing infrastructure of the store system can be
used to also create and update the store's aisle-by-aisle,
shelf-by-shelf merchandise database that is accessed via shopper
queries. In a store merchandise aisle/shelf database creation mode,
an operator proceeds to voice his location in the store (e.g.,
Aisle 7, Section D, Top 3.sup.rd Shelf from bottom) by speech
recognition and proceeds with an UPC bar code reader or EPC RFID
reader to record/identify all merchandise in that location. The
same process extends to restocking or adding new products.
Alternatively, bar coded or RFID labels on the shelves etc.
throughout the establishment can be scanned to give the exact store
location instead of the above voice entry that is subject to speech
recognition as shelved merchandise is recorded in the store
merchandise database per the above process.
This aspect of the invention involves a method of generating a
merchandise database used in a system for obtaining merchandise
information. A request for entering information to the merchandise
database is received via a communication network from an operator
having a telephony device. The operator is requested to speak a
current operator location with respect to at least one of an aisle
and shelf in a store. The operator is then requested to enter at
least one of a predetermined product indicium and name of a product
at the current operator location. Data representing the current
operator location and data representing the product indicium is
stored as a data set in the merchandise data base. Advantageously,
the product indicium is a bar code (UPC/EPC) widely used for
identifying products.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
The novel features and method steps characteristic of the invention
are set out in the claims below. The invention itself, however, as
well as other features and advantages thereof, are best understood
by reference to the detailed description, which follows, when read
in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 shows a schematic block diagram of one embodiment of a
system for obtaining information about merchandise; and
FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of one embodiment of a method of obtaining
information about merchandise.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 illustrates an overview of one embodiment of a system 1 for
obtaining merchandise information coupled to a communication
network 4. At least one customer terminal 2 is coupled to the
communication network 4 to enable a customer access to the system
1. The customer terminal 2 may be a telephone at the customer's
residence (fixed line, plain old telephone), a mobile phone, a
telephony enabled personal digital assistant (PDA), or any other
device for speech and/or data communication via the communication
network 4. The customer terminal 2 may further be provided with a
GPS functionality. Accordingly, the communication network 4
provides for such communication, for example, via a public phone
system (fixed and/or mobile), a WiFi network, the Internet (e.g.,
using VoIP), or a combination of a phone system and the
Internet.
A company that operates at least one of a retail, department,
wholesale, or grocery store, or any other store or warehouse etc.,
maintains and operates the system 1 or alternatively the entire
system and database can be outsourced to a third party. The system
is configured to receive an information inquiry from the customer
regarding a product the customer intends to purchase, or is
interested in for some other reason. In one embodiment, the
customer requests information about where the product is located in
the company's store the customer wants to buy that product. In
response to the customer's request, the system 1 searches a
merchandise database of that store, retrieves the product location
information and informs the customer where the product can be found
in that store, e.g., by providing aisle and shelf information,
alone or in combination with other information, such as in frozen
food section, next to cashier #1. Knowing, for example, the aisle
and shelf, for example, before the customer even enters the store,
enables the customer to find the product in that store faster,
without wandering around in the store searching for the
product.
In the following description of one embodiment, the system 1 is
configured to assist the customer locating a product in a store.
Accordingly, the system 1 may be referred to as merchandise
locating system 1. However, it is contemplated that locating a
product in a store is one exemplary application of the system 1;
other applications include obtaining product
specifications/information, specials and promotions related to a
given type of merchandise.
In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the merchandise locating system 1
includes hardware and software that provide for the functionalities
of a system control 26, operating system 24, merchandise database
8, speech synthesizer 22, speech recognition 20, SMS interface 18,
bar code/EPC interface 16, customer relation database 14, and
customer profile database 12, which communicate via a bus system 28
under control of at least one processor 10. These functional units
may reside in a memory 6 coupled to the processor 10.
For illustrative purposes, FIG. 1 depicts the system control 26,
operating system 24, merchandise database 8, speech synthesizer 22,
speech recognition 20, SMS interface 18, bar code/EPC interface 16,
customer relation database 14, and customer profile database 12 as
separate functional units. However, it is contemplated that in a
particular implementation of the system, a different arrangement of
these functional units may be chosen, or that one or more
functional units may be combined into one unit, e.g., a speech
processing unit instead of two separate units for speech
synthesizer 22 and speech recognition 20.
In one embodiment, the store system 1 is based on a commercially
available LINUX.RTM. or WINDOWS.RTM. based computer having one or
more suitable processors from Intel Corp., or Advanced Micro
Devices, Inc. The computer is configured to have the above-listed
functional units, for example, by implementing interfaces and
installing commercially available software to perform speech
recognition and database management.
In one embodiment, a large national chain of stores can implement
the store system 1 directly as an extension of its own IT
operation, or an outsourced application to a telephony service
provider or through third parties such as call centers. Where, as
in the preferred embodiment, a mobile phone is used either to
affect speech recognition or to send an electronic message (SMS)
using the phone's keypad, the location of the retail outlet results
from base station information or locational information that
service providers can transfer to applications, similar to other
applications such as services that allow registered parents to
track their children via their mobile phones. The locational
information thereby obtained is used to delineate a given stores
merchandise, separate from that of the entire chain by either
relational database means or by accessing discrete store
databases.
The speech recognition or SMS application are based on standard
processor architectures using conventional operating systems.
Examples of known speech recognition software are VoCon.RTM. and
NaturallySpeaking.RTM. available from Nuance Communications, Inc.
that allow training that can be specialized via the user's profile,
or can be used in untrained general user mode with adequate
accuracy for application in the store system 1. It is envisaged
that the speech recognition technology implemented in the store
system 1 allows the customer to dialog with the directness as if
dealing with a knowledgeable store staff. The need for multi-level
menus that are viewed as a nuisance factors is obviated. Operator
intervention is not required unless the speech recognition or SMS
product entry fails to achieve a merchandise database match. The
staff currently in communication with the customer can be store
personnel wearing earpieces doing other tasks and just responding
as if receiving a "phone call".
The customer can contact the store system 1 by a simple, suggestive
toll-free number. Upon connection, in one embodiment, the customer
is asked: "Please tell us what you are looking for." Traditional
menu interfacing is consciously avoided with foreseeable extensions
being limited to language preference, or if they wish to enter a
single or multiple product request.
The processor 100 is configured to perform speech recognition
either as a software application or as a dedicated hardware
facility. In both regards, standard processors, or special purpose
processors, may be used. The store system 1 runs under standard
operating systems structured for real time multiprocessing
response. The databases can be organized in a discrete
store-by-store fashion, or as a chain-wide master relational
database that is subtended upon receiving the phone tower or other
locational information such as local WiFi, GPS. Speech recognition
technology has reached a state-of-the-art where standard speech
recognition applications can be used, preferably optimized in
"Command" mode to handle short phrases rather than continuous
speech.
The customer utterance is transferred to the speech recognition
process of the store system 1 via telephony and in most instances
as digitized speech that is directly input to the speech
recognition process. The related databases are linked to the
system's processors to increase the speed of response to the
customer. Where ambiguous results occur from the speech
recognition, the store system 1 can dialog with the shopper to ask
to choose between options. Customer feedback results in the
requested product location information, but also can be used to
improve recognition reliability for the customer.
In one scenario, the customer uses the customer terminal 2, for
example, a mobile telephony device equipped with a microphone, a
speaker, a display and a keypad to connect to the store system 1.
As known in the art of mobile radio communication, the mobile phone
connects to the communication network 4 via a base station assigned
to handle the traffic in a certain area assigned to that base
station. In the service provider's network infrastructure, the
location of each base station is known. Hence, knowing the base
station used to access the communication network 4, allows
deducting the location of the customer making a call.
The base station information is used to advise the store system 1
as to which store the customer is closest to, or is calling from,
so that subsequent speech recognition accuracy is optimized by
restricting the merchandise database 8 to that store. That is, the
merchandise of that store may differ from the merchandise of
others, for example, it may have less merchandise due to smaller
size, or have specialized merchandise sections, such as regional
products, sporting equipment and gardening equipment. Speech
recognition is facilitated when the pool of possible products is
known. The store system 1 performs all queries and responses
relevant to the store's merchandise layout.
The store system 1 may not be able to deduct the location the
customer is closest to or calling from, for example, because the
location of the base station is not provided by the service
provider, or because the location information is ambiguous. In that
case, the store system 1 may prompt the customer to add additional
information, such as a store identification number displayed in the
store, or at least one part of the address of the store (ZIP code,
city, street name, house number).
It is contemplated that using the location of a base station is
only one option to deduct the location of the customer. In other
embodiments, the location of the user may be determined by means of
a sign-on to a WiFi network using the customer terminal 2, a GPS
functionality implemented in the customer terminal 2, or by means
of triangulation to resolve the database to only those products in
the store being shopped and thereby facilitate speech recognition
accuracy and/or SMS convergence.
Although speech recognition may be usable without prior training,
customization to the individual user and hence greater utility of
the store system 1 can be affected by enabling a user to previously
train the speech recognition facility to their pronunciation. When
the customer dials the single nationwide number of the chain of
stores, the customer's speech recognition training profile is
identified and accessed by the caller's phone number (caller Id) or
other caller specific signaling.
In one embodiment, a customer may want to register with the store
system 1 to use the assisted merchandise information service a
store offers. Part of the registration process may be a speech
recognition training, storing the training results and assigning a
caller identification code (e.g., the caller's phone number) to the
customer. The training results and the caller identification code
may be stored in the customer profile database 12. When the
customer accesses the store system 1 to use the merchandise
information service, the store system 1 identifies the customer via
the caller identification code and accesses the customer's profile
of the customer profile database 12. This further enhances speech
recognition via the previously stored speech recognition training
results.
The "local" merchandise database 8 of the store system 1 stores by
category of merchandise, or specific merchandise name information
such as the location of a product in the store in terms of shelf,
aisle etc., or special location such as floor, north, south, or
specific point by point directions from a central or easily located
point. The former may be more used by a mass retailer while the
latter may be more related to a department store. This does also
include storage and retrieval of any other merchandise related
information.
The "global" merchandise database 9 contains relevant information
such as brand names etc. about a wider range of merchandise that is
not limited to the selection available at a specific store. Since
in some embodiments of this invention the speech recognition is
performed for the sake of processing speed and accuracy by
initially matching the speech input against a local store database
8 this would result in the system's inability to recognize speech
input about any merchandise not available at this specific store.
This would not allow for suggestions to the customer for
alternative products or data mining on unfulfilled customer
requests. Therefore, requests for which no match has been found in
the database 8 can be transferred to database 9 for recognition.
The results can then be used for further processing.
In an alternative embodiment, the customer reaches the store system
1 using a store local wireless facility. The customer is then able
to connect to the store's own WiFi network and call the service
using VoIP. By placing numerous base stations, the store can
triangulate, e.g., via WiFi signal strength, the customer's
location in the store. The store system's use of the WiFi facility
is preferably related to PDA-based embodiments, or to future
devices that have multiple channels allowing simultaneous telephony
and WiFi connections. With WiFi triangulation in the store the
audio feedback has the additional advantage that it can be
customized further, such as: "You are now walking down on Aisle 2,
the product you requested is 3 aisles to your left on Aisle 5".
The optional customer relationship database 14 contains any
additional information the retailer might want to include in the
message sent back to the customer such as information about special
bargains or events.
The barcode interface 16 is part of the setup that allows for this
system to be used for creating and updating the store
aisle-to-aisle and shelf-to-shelf database. A staff member can use
a stationary or hand held scanner to capture merchandise barcode
information that is then processed by the barcode interface 16 to
be stored in the database 8. The location information about aisle
and shelf number can either be fed to the system by means of
scanning barcodes attached to aisles and shelves, or alternatively
it can be entered by a microphone for speech recognition 20.
FIG. 2 depicts a flow diagram of one embodiment of a method of
obtaining information about merchandise in the system illustrated
in FIG. 1. In a step S1, a customer uses the customer terminal 2 to
dial a store's service number. The store's service number may be
displayed outside or inside the store.
In a step S2, the store system 1 identifies the location of the
calling customer. In one embodiment, the identification of the
location occurs via the location of a base station, as described
above.
In one embodiment, the store system 1 optionally identifies the
identity of the customer and accesses the customer profile database
12 to optimize speech recognition, as indicated in steps S2a and
S2b. As steps S2a, S2b are optional, there are shown in FIG. 1 in
dashed lines. The customer profile particularizes the store system
1 to the specific customer and the speech pattern developed by
previous training, for example, during the registration
process.
Proceeding to a step S3, the store system 1 matches the location of
the calling customer to location data of store units in a database.
That is, for large retail chains the relatively fine grid of
cellular base stations allows making a one-for-one mapping. Upon
identification of the store being shopped, the product database 8
is restricted to only those items carried and, hence speech
recognition is enhanced in accuracy and/or SMS touchtone
convergence is accelerated. The resulting database match is also
then relevant to the specific merchandise aisle/shelf layout of the
store being shopped.
Proceeding to a step S4, the store system 1 connects the customer
to a speech recognition system. The customer's request is
transferred as digitalized speech to the speech recognition
procedure. In a circumstance where the telephony front-end provides
analog transmission, step S4 performs the require A/D conversion.
The speech recognition process is optimized for short, discrete
utterances normally referred to in the art as Command Mode.
Proceeding to a step S5, the store system 1 uses the speech
synthesizer or pre-stored speech to prompt speech input by the
customer. The customer can enter the merchandise request stating
the brand name or just what type of merchandise they want to buy,
or the store system 1 can request the query to first state
merchandise type, e.g., "Cereal", then the brand, e.g. Kellogg's
Bran.RTM..
Proceeding to a step S6, the customer speaks the name of the
product.
Proceeding to a step S7, the customer's speech input is subjected
to speech recognition. The system's speech recognizer 22 is
optimized for recognizing speech received over the phone and may be
trained to the customer's speech. The customer speaks the name of
the product of interest into the microphone of the customer
terminal 2, and the speech recognition system generates an
interpretation of the spoken product name versus the data in the
merchandise database 8. Proceeding to a step S8, the result of the
speech recognition is fed to the speech synthesizer 22. The speech
synthesizer 22 uses the interpretation of the spoken product name
to generate a synthetic speech or retrieve a prerecorded speech
segment(s).
Proceeding to a step S9, the speech synthesizer 22 gives a feedback
to the customer. That is, the store system 1 advises the customer
of its interpretation of the spoken product name.
Proceeding to a step S10, the store system 1 determines whether the
customer accepts the speech recognition feedback. The customer
either accepts or rejects the speech recognition's interpretation
either by saying "yes" or striking a key (e.g., #) on the customer
terminal's keypad, or a counter sequence for rejection. If the
customer accepts the feedback as corresponding to the product name
input by the customer, the method proceeds along the YES branch to
a step S11.
In step S11, the store system 1 uses the speech input to retrieve
the product location from the merchandise database 8. That is, if
the customer accepts the speech recognition's interpretation, the
store system 1 responds by accessing the merchandise database 8 to
advise the customer by speech response of the location of the
requested merchandise in that store. The location may be identified
by an aisle number, and if the store so chooses to demarcate the
aisle into marked sectors, a sector designator and/or shelf number
(top, bottom, 2.sup.nd etc.), right or left etc. If the aisles are
not demarcated into sectors then a more general instruction like
near the middle, left side may be given.
In one embodiment, the store system 1 sends a signal to the
customer terminal 2 to cause the location of the product and/or the
way to the location to be displayed on the customer terminal 2.
Additionally the location instructions can be sent to the customer
terminal 2 as a simple, concise text message. In upscale department
stores where aisles are not denoted like in grocery stores, the
system can give directions from a central point like the foot of
the escalator.
In one embodiment, as indicated in a step S11a, the store system 1
accesses the customer relation database 14 for supplementary
information.
In one embodiment as indicated in Step 11b unmatched customer
requests are stored as audio in a database for future operator
review to determine possible additions to the shopped store's
merchandise. Special recognition tools that search for common
phoneme strings or phases in the unfulfilled customer requests can
aid in clustering any unfulfilled customer requests and facilitate
operator review.
In one embodiment indicated in Step 11c, failure to match a
customer's request causes the request to be attempted for match
against a global database 9. The global database 9 is a chain-wide
compendium, or a directory, of all relevant information necessary
to achieve recognition, e.g., brand names, generic product names
like "bread", "milk", but also aliases, such as item names with a
regionally limited range of use, and also different spellings of
the same name. A match against the global database 9 allows the
store system 1 to respond with information where similar products
can be found in the store, and to create for merchandise addition
to the shopped store a list of products requested for possible
addition to inventory.
Proceeding to a step S12, the store system 1 transmits the product
location and any supplementary information determined in step S11a
to the customer.
If in step S10 the customer does not accept the feedback because it
does not correspond to the product name input by the customer,
i.e., the system's voicing is not correct, the method proceeds
along the NO branch to a step S13. In that case, the customer can
retry and speak the product name again, or can be transferred to a
store representative, as indicated in step S13, who is equipped
with a headset or other unit to receiving/transmitting device to
dialog directly with the customer and resolve the requested
merchandise location. The store representative may be any of the
staff doing sundry other tasks where contact is facilitated by
their wearing, for example, wireless earpieces while doing their
other assigned responsibilities. In one embodiment, the store
representative provides the information so the customer's session
is finished unless the customer requested a list mode in which as
the store representative will speak or key location so it can be
added to the optimized shopping tour.
In one embodiment, when the customer signs onto the store system 1,
or during shopping, the customer can by speech or keypad put the
store system 1 into a "shopping list" mode. In this mode, the
customer speaks all items being shopped for, and the store system
1, after receiving the customer's confirmation of correct
recognition, puts items into an order where the customer will be
prompted with the location per the above example of each item in an
order of precedence that will avoid any back-tracking--hence saving
a key element of shopping time and frustration. The list mode of
operation can also add to an existing customer shopping list
already existing on the store system 1.
The disclosed invention allows for further improving the efficiency
and accuracy of speech recognition and SMS entry by constraining a
lookup specifically to a store's merchandise database or shelf
layout thereby facilitating unambiguous identification via speech
recognition or with the fewest keypad strokes.
In more detail, the customer indicates to the store system 1 via
spoken utterance and/or via a keypad stroke whether the customer is
looking for a specific store shelf location, e.g., "Breakfast
Cereal" or a specific product, e.g., "Kellogg's Bran.RTM.". A
keypad entry can be used with speech recognition where very
specific information is required once the general category of
information has been determined by speech, or where a shopping list
has been pre-stored on the phone and speech is used for a few
impulse or last minute additions. By use of the pre-knowledge the
store system's database 8 can be delimited to increase the speech
recognition accuracy and SMS efficiency.
Advantageously, the store may create and update the merchandise
database 8 on its own. For example, to create the merchandise
database 8 a store employee equipped with a headset and a barcode
reader may process the merchandise per aisle and shelf. While the
employee stands in front of a shelf, the employee speaks the
current location--e.g., aisle 8, sector A and receives a speech
recognizer response. Once confirmed the employee can begin to
record via the bar code reader the merchandise therein. Additional
details like shelf can be spoken as the process continues. This
procedure may be performed via barcode reading only where the
aisles and the shelves are equipped with barcodes and the operator
scans them at the beginning of the aisle and prior to switching
shelves. The employee continues through the merchandise and speaks
changes in aisle/sector etc. as they are encountered. In case new
products need to be added to the merchandise database 8, the
locations of these products may be directly entered at a central
station. In the alternative, the locations of the new products may
be entered in the above-described manner using speech and a bar
code scanner by means of an employee when shelving the new
products. For purposes of the above process bar code and RFID are
viewed as equivalent.
It is apparent that there has been disclosed a system and method
for obtaining merchandise information that fully satisfies the
objects, means, and advantages set forth herein before. For
example, any mobile phone or telephony enabled PDA device can be
used to assist a customer (or store staff) to find the precise
location of merchandise in large retail and wholesale
establishments. In particular, the disclosed method allows any
mobile phone or telephony enabled PDA to be used to enter the
merchandise in question in a hands-free mode without recourse to a
keyboard and navigate the customer to find the item in question or
an entire list of items organized in an optimal shopping tour
without recourse to a display. Key for immediacy and ease of use is
the ability to affect merchandise location in any store or any
store in a chain by dialing a single nationwide number and all
further resolution of location, store specific database is done
automatically with no overt user interaction.
The merchandise in question is communicated for store database
lookup using speech recognition or a single handed SMS keying where
the specific store database of products and shelf location is
determined from the "universe" of possibilities via identification
of the base station being accessed, local WiFi or other
triangulation or GPS means. The user is not required to enter any
store or personal identification protocol since the user is further
identified to the system for purposes of access of prior stored
speech recognition training profiles and other information by use
of "Caller Id:" It is contemplated that the process can begin
before the customer even enters the store.
The immediate access to a user profile also offers further
potential enhancement to speech recognition and SMS entry by
retaining those products previously shopped for that can be used to
resolve speech recognition ambiguities and increase the convergence
of SMS entry. Such auxiliary lists can be resident on the central
system or down loaded as a special application to the customer's
mobile telephony device. Furthermore speech recognition precision
can be continually improved for example when a second attempt at
speech recognitions resolves the query, the erroneous first result
versus the correct result can be used for tuning. Similarly
successful speech recognition of the utterance of the store
representative can be used also in the customer profile tuning
process.
Further applications driven by Caller Id and base station location
information allow for the customer to remotely enter a shopping
list by speech, SMS or computer upload. The store system 1 realizes
it is not in that store location and hence prepares to resolve a
shopping list and store as part of the caller ID accessed user
profile. Upon accessing the store system in that store location,
for example, as resolved by cellular tower or caller ID retrieval
of the customer's profile, the pre-stored shopping list is prompted
to the shopper--if they wish to shop with it. If so, or as
augmented with further shopping items, the list having store shelve
locations is sequentially fed back to the customer in an order that
the items can be shopped with no re-tracing of steps, or
back-tracking, thereby saving significant shopping time.
The disclosure also allows the customer when entering the
merchandise being location requested to use simple SMS format of
data entry with full facilitates of partial word or phrase
identification with the added value that lookup can be customized
to the store's merchandise by product name or general category of
merchandise to minimize keystrokes. Further, the method and system,
if speech recognition fails, seamlessly transfer the customer to a
store staff member who can dialog with the customer and advise them
of item location. For any product identified via speech or SMS the
customer can request also by speech or single dial pad keystroke to
receive related audio feedback on specials, sales items etc.
The invention disclosed couples a mobile phone or telephony enabled
PDA to dialog with a store merchandise database in a manner that is
consistent with ease-of-use established for mobile phones that does
not distract from the shopping objectives and provides a mode of
customer query and feedback independent of keyboard or display.
* * * * *